Defender candidate arrested

Tallahassee police say he had cocaine

While in Tallahassee on May 2 filing last-minute papers to run for Broward County public defender, criminal defense attorney Gary Ostrow was arrested on a charge of cocaine possession, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement report.

Tallahassee police officers arrested Ostrow, 52, at 11:35 p.m. The report did not specify a location.

The charge is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.

Despite five messages left at his Fort Lauderdale law office and cell phone, Ostrow could not be reached to comment Thursday evening.

The Tallahassee Police Department could not provide an arrest report after regular business hours Thursday.

A week ago, Ostrow, a Republican candidate, vowed to give Public Defender Howard Finkelstein "the fight of his life" for leadership of the 175-person office.

Ostrow said he plans to spend $200,000 of his own money to jump-start his campaign. He has been a licensed attorney in Florida since 1982.

Ostrow said he wanted to mend what he sees as the increasingly adversarial relationship between the office and the Broward County judiciary. "I feel I would help establish a connection with the bench," he said last week.

He also said the office's employee turnover is too high, creating stability problems.

Finkelstein said he was "stunned" to hear from a reporter that Ostrow was arrested on the drug charge on the day he filed to run for public office.

"I hope he's OK, and I hope he deals with whatever he needs to deal with," Finkelstein said. "I'm just not the type of person to jump on somebody when they're down."

Finkelstein battled a drug problem in the 1980s. He lost his law license for a year after he crashed his car containing a briefcase with a small amount of cocaine and a bottle of painkillers into a deputy's car.

Finkelstein ultimately pleaded no contest to drug possession and drunken driving and was sentenced to five years' probation. He also went through drug rehabilitation.

Florida records show no criminal past for Ostrow except driving without a valid driver's license. He pleaded to the crime May 18, 2006, and paid $213. A formal conviction was withheld, according to Broward County court records.

Ostrow has represented high-profile clients such as Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams when he tested positive for marijuana, violating the National Football League's drug abuse policy.